5.31.2010

It’s the final night of her summer job on Maui. Her last chance to see him alone. Maggie plans to make it a night she’ll never forget—one of amazingly hot sex with her coworker Gabe.

Gabe wishes he’d said something sooner, taken their friendship to the next level. He’s more than willing to slip away with Maggie for a private farewell. But he’s the one all the other summer workers turn to when the party gets too wild, and this is definitely the wildest party of the summer. Is the island big enough for them to escape their meddling friends and release the passion burning inside them?

You can catch up with Gabe and Maggie when they meet again fifteen years later, in Maui Rekindled.

This was good enough to make me want to hunt out Maui Rekindled. It's basically the summer two teenagers met, hooked up, and planned to have a future together. Quick and fun, what more do you want?

She was the kind of girl he looked for at UC Berkley. A keeper. One worth investing time and emotion on. But summer romances rarely worked into anything more, so he kept it casual, hooked up with one or two of the girls he knew wouldn't get attached. Maybe it made him sleazy in Maggie's eyes, but it was out of respect for her.

Le Bullshit!

Astrophysicist Dr. Jay Walters needs to find enough energy to launch and control a spaceship for Planet Chromefield’s new space program. When sexy Lorna, the object of his fantasies, seduces him one day at lunch, he discovers what may be the greatest source of sexual energy between her shapely legs. His hunch is proven correct when he tests her energy during a private experiment. But when he instructs her to get as horny as she possibly can, she needs a little help from the doctor.

Jay is a major moodkiller in this one. Way too addicted to his work! She's lying on a table, trying to get herself 'off' and all he can do is stare at data while encouraging her to watch porn. Eh.

5.26.2010

It’s Victoria Bloom’s twenty-fifth birthday. But is she out celebrating? Oh, no. She’s in a stuffy old attic with the Three Stooges—a.k.a. her so-called spirit guides. There’s a demon who wants her dead, the same one that killed her mother two decades ago. No worries, say the Stooges. All she has to do is summon an angel. What could go wrong?

Well, plenty when you summon the wrong angel. The next thing Tory knows, she’s got one very bad-ass, pissed-off and sexy Archangel on her hands.

Michael, mighty warrior, leader of an elite team of demon killers, is shaking in his heavenly combat boots. Not because he finds all humans distasteful. But because he’d rather face Lucifer himself than the woman his soul has just recognized as his mate. Binding himself to a mortal, one who will eventually die, is the one path he’s sworn never to follow.

It’s too late now; his fate is sealed. With one touch, she becomes as necessary to him as the air he breathes. He will move heaven and earth to protect her—but against a demon as powerful as Asmodeus, heaven and earth may not be enough…

Warning: This book contains one bad-ass Archangel with a fiery, um, sword, a witch who blows things up, one nasty demon who is trying to kill them both, and ghosts who make interfering their mission. Steamy sex is had, even with the voyeur ghosts
—though Tory is still blushing.

I knew I was going to love this book when I read the first few paragraphs. Demons and Angels. Both dark and formidable.

Asmodeus studied the pitiful being for a moment, then a grin slowly spread across his face. Dead he could do. In fact, he would relish every moment of the act: skin tearing beneath his nails, blood oozing forth and the fragrant cries of pain tickling his ears. But he was getting ahead of himself. First there was payment. And then he had to decide if he would kill the human after reaping his soul or just maim him, leaving him alive to do Asmodeus’s future bidding. Oh, so much pain, so little time.

You've never met this side of the angel Michael.

Slowly, the light dimmed and she was stunned to find herself unscathed. But still Tory hid her eyes behind her hand. Who knew what the hell stood on the other side. And since her father was, if the bastard still lived, a demon-worshiping warlock, hell was entirely possible.

“You foolish human. I was in the midst of an important meeting. Send me back. Now.”
Her hand fell from her face, her gaze latching onto the figure in the middle of the pentagram. Holy shit. It had worked. And he was huge. Close to seven feet tall with long black hair cascading around broad shoulders and rippling biceps. His arms were folded across his massive chest, fists clenched in obvious agitation, causing the veins to bulge prominently.

Tory lifted her eyes to his face and the stark beauty she found there left her dumbfounded. He had a strong face, high cheekbones and a pronounced jaw presently ticking in anger. Ice-blue eyes framed by thick black lashes and full lush lips frowned down at her.

“Well?” he asked, arching one raven-hued brow.

“Please, Zadkiel, I am in desperate need of your help.”

“Lord, save me from idiots. I am not Zadkiel, you nitwit.”

“Oh shit,” Ari muttered.

“What do you mean, oh shit?” Tory demanded. “What have you three gotten me into now?”

“Michael,” came the whispered reply, and Tory knew she was in some serious trouble.

“Just what I need. A feeble-minded human. Can this day get any worse?” the angel mumbled, jerking her attention back to him.

“I am not feeble-minded,” she cried indignantly, fear quickly forgotten. “And it would serve you right if Fate bit you on the ass.”

Michael snorted. “Those three bitches know better than to mess with me. Now I have more important things, woman, than to share insults with you.”

Oh the anguish! Oh the agony!

Michael's torment over Gabriel's loss sealed it for me.

“Hunting demons is a dangerous business. You can hardly be blamed for Ari’s death.”

“It is not her death putting a wedge between Gabriel and me. It’s what I said later, the callous words I spoke for which he has never forgiven me. And I cannot blame him.”

“What did you say?” Tory probed gently, but Michael only shook his head.

“I do not want you to hate me too,” he whispered.

“That will never happen,” she stated, her voice filled with absolute conviction.
She didn’t think there was anything he could say to change how she felt about him. Not that she wanted to examine too closely what her feelings were. Tory wasn’t ready to admit them even to herself.

Unable or unwilling to meet her gaze, Michael stared down at their joined hands and Tory thought he wasn’t going to respond. Then he spoke, so softly Tory had to strain to make out the words.

“I told him he was better off without the human to distract him. There were plenty of females with which he could scratch an itch. He didn’t need Ariadne.”

“Ouch,” Tory murmured, wondering how Gabriel had taken such a pronouncement. Probably not very favorably.

“How the hell was I to know?” Michael cried. With a growl, he attempted to pull away from her, to put some distance between them, but Tory feared if she released the tight grip on his hand she would lose whatever was growing between them.

“How were you to know what?” Tory demanded.

“How the hell was I to know my mate would complete me in ways I’d never even suspected I needed?”

Yeah, I know. I quoted the hell out of this one. But it was just so *oomph* So good!

There's everything in this story. Angels. Demons. Spirits. Vampires. Fae. And a lot more. Some just mentioned but it just makes the world in which this tale takes place all the more incredible. I would live there.

As head of Senator Prescott’s security detail, Walker had kept an eye on the Senator’s daughter, Heather, since she was twelve. When she turned eighteen, his feelings for her became way too inappropriate, so he put another team in charge of her and focused more on the Senator, but his thoughts were never too far away from Heather.

Now she’s twenty-four and the target of the men her father is trying to expose. Walker is once again put in charge of her protection. Unfortunately, Walker’s attraction to her hasn’t lessened and Heather knows it.

Heather has been in love with Walker since she was a teenager, so she sees this joined-at-the-hip thing as the perfect opportunity to get him to see her as something other than his job and the child she used to be. She knew he wanted her, it was just a matter of time before he gave in.

The men after her may put a kink in her seduction plans but with a little divine intervention, they may just survive the flying bullets.

I was touched by the the prologue to this one. Heather escapes her security guard for the third time in a month, jumps in her convertible and races down the highway. She's then chased down and driven off the road by a black SUV. The whole time she's thinking of Walker, the former head of security, and recalling everything he's ever taught her. In the end, her car smashed into a tree... blood and shattered glass covering her, Heather mumbles her final words of the scene- 'I'm sorry, Walker'.

He's her hero. He's taught her the best of everything she knows.

She's his best friend's daughter and thirteen years his junior.

I took joy in some parts of this story. It was never forgotten who they were to each other, or they had been. Walker often remembers helping with her homework, watching over her and her friends at the mall. Heather remembers the transition of going from wanting his goodnight hugs to his goodnight kisses. She eavesdropped over Walker and his security buds as they drunkenly chat about women. What they like, in and doing with them.

Heather has shaped herself to being his fantasy and has the anal toys and waxing to prove it.

Walker's been fighting his feelings for Heather for years, since the one night his perception of her changed and she became a woman in his mind and to his body. He's distanced himself. He's tried to move on. But that one night when she was eighteen and they shared their first kiss haunts them both.

Through most of this story I was trying to figure out the 'divine intervention' part, and finally did. Daddy always does know best.

5.25.2010

The 2.5 software update for Kindle and Kindle DX is coming soon. We are rolling out the new software update to a limited group of Kindle users and plan a broad release in late May 2010. Check back here for updates on the release schedule.

Here's a list of the coming enhancements:

* Collections: Organize your books and documents into one or more collections.

* PDF Pan and Zoom: Zoom into PDFs and pan around to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics.

The stories in Precarious are about doing the right thing and regretting it. About making bets and dancing naked.

They play out in rain-soaked Seattle and drought-stricken California. In the front seat of Mom's Malibu and a vacation cabin on Cape Cod. On a tiny island and in a desert filled with light and heat and sand that slips through your fingers like friendships you once had.

In these fifteen stories you will meet a boy trying to make it through that summer between the end of high school and the beginning of something else. A woman attracted to a man with muscles, because it makes her feel safe...until it doesn't. A man who can only imagine what it's like to sleep with many different women, but that's OK -he has a good imagination.

In prose that is by turns spare and lyrical, the stories of Precarious capture the feeling of late summer. A never-ending game of Kick the Can. All sense of time lost among the stars.

I won this in a giveaway. Stories of Love, Sex, and Misunderstandings. Yes, I was intrigued. But this has got to be the hardest book I've ever reviewed or commented on. But here it is...

This book is filled with stories about choices, some made in a heartbeat while some span over a lifetime. With each choice made there is a path left untaken and as intelligent, living beings we are left to carry the regret and what-ifs that follow. That is the theme of Precarious.

With fifteen tales casting a multitude of characters, it’s not difficult for anyone to find something to relate to. That is the beauty of Precarious.

They are not stories meant to make you feel good. Many left me depressed. Infidelity was a strong, recurring theme throughout the collection. Religion and sexuality were others. And then there are some that are just odd and can only blow your mind.

I most enjoyed: ‘Sleeping With Smiley’, where we find a young man’s memory of the chance he had to be with his best friend’s girl; ‘Dance Naked’, for its suspense and thrill of hope; and ‘Taken’, for its unpredictable, twisted ending.

Now.. to rate it. I liked it, so three stars is a definite start. I really liked some of the characters, so four is a maybe. What I find dragging is the constant infidelity. How can I give five stars (AMAZING!) to something like that?

5.24.2010

Bleeding and dizzy, Blade wakes up to find himself in the hospital. But how did he get there? With enemies coming at him from all sides, it’s hard to know who attacked him. But he knows that whoever it was will be back to finish him off. And quick. So he’s gotta go. He’s gotta break outta there. Not only to save his own life, but there’s kindly old Mary and little Jaz to think about. Who’s looking out for them? On the run, with grinks hot on his tail and gravely injured, Blade will have to gather all his strength just to survive. And with nowhere to hide, he needs to run. Because this time, if he plays dead, that’s exactly how he’ll end up.

Turns out, I *am* BigEyes!

Out of the Shadows is a combination of books three and four, Breaking Free and Running Scared, of Tim Bowler’s Blade series that was first released in the UK.

The story follows fourteen year old Blade, a young man that the world has thrown away to the streets. Left wounded and vulnerable by his enemies, Blade awakens in the hospital and is almost instantly forced once again to run and fight for his life. We accompany Blade (while he affectionately refers to the reader as BigEyes) a...more Out of the Shadows is a combination of books three and four, Breaking Free and Running Scared, of Tim Bowler’s Blade series that was first released in the UK.

The story follows fourteen year old Blade, a young man that the world has thrown away to the streets. Left wounded and vulnerable by his enemies, Blade awakens in the hospital and is almost instantly forced once again to run and fight for his life. We accompany Blade (while he affectionately refers to the reader as BigEyes) as our hero maneuvers the streets of the city in an effort to stay one step ahead of those hunting him while seeking out the very few places and people he cares for.

Being unfamiliar with this series prior to reading, I had the usual questions concerning Blade’s past and few were answered as the story progressed. That, though, in no way restricted the enjoyment of the read. Concise, meaningful sentences help keep the story alive, holding the reader right there, anxious and desperate to know what has happened, what is happening, and what’s coming next.

Never have I been so belittled by a character, much to my amusement. The humor Blade delivers, with the flashes of his vulnerability and honest fears, keep an emotional tie to the main character through his flight, his reunion with his former street gang, his weighing of the choices left open to him, and even up until its shocking, heart-stopping ending.

"It's no big deal," she says. "Water's calm."
It's not, BigEyes. It was calm before but now it's bucking like hell. Don't shake your head. It's bucking like hell, okay?

5.22.2010

(Wiki) The movie opens with a fairy tale. A young girl named Ofelia, lies on the ground bleeding, while the narration explains that long ago, Princess Moanna of the Underground Realm, curious about the world above, escaped to the Earth, where the sun blinded her and, forgetting her past, she weakened and died. Nonetheless, her father retains hope that her spirit will eventually return to him.

Never before have I known a movie with creepier characters! Look at these freaks!

With a cast of praying mantis looking bugs that evolve into fairies, fauns burdened with magical books, roots that pray to be humans, and rebels and soldiers battling for what they believe in, you are damn sure going to be entertained by this very dark, very bloody, fairy tale.

Though a mixture of happiness and sadness, and the dreaded Spanish language, I did like this movie. Wanted to smack the girl around a little bit. Don't eat the food he says. Your life is in your hands he says. What does she do? Grabs the first grape she sees. And who pays the price. The freaky little bug fairies. Got their heads munched off by the freaky eye-balled-palms dude. *cringe*

19-year-old Alice returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Really enjoyed the new Alice in Underland. Needed a prince though. The tension between she and Hatter wasn't enough. Loved Hare though with his 'chopchopchop' and 'have some tea'!

Four months after the commission of a violent crime, Kaspar Traulhaine is approached by a stranger who claims to have witnessed everything and who coldly announces his intention to turn him over to the authorities in three days time. As the hours pass, Traulhaine struggles with his conscience, his desire to remain free, and a growing urge toward violence against his tormentor, who offers no reason for his sudden appearance and no terms for his continued silence.

I struggled with this story. Specifically, I struggled with Kaspar and forming a bond with such a character whom I find very difficult to believe capable of committing murder.

When Montgomery approaches him with the message that Kaspar has three days till he would turn him into the authorities for his crime coupled with no demands that could possibly dissuade the action, Kaspar is left to writhe under the pressures of his guilt, his fragile freedom, and the perplexing motivations of this stranger.

Paranoia is the driving force of this story as Kaspar comes to imagine that everyone around him exists for the sole purpose of his torment and, or, destruction.

Despite the testimony of his hatred and anger towards Montgomery, I never quite felt the aggression. That, because quite simply, it is never acted upon. Kaspar proves all too willing to play the puppet in the psychological game, convinced that there is no escape to Montgomery’s master plan in which any act no matter how big or small on Kaspar’s part is exactly what Montgomery expects.

The taunts, repetitive contemplations, and striking analogies keep the story intense. Yet, the lack of desperation to flee or assertively confront his tormentor trampled much of my enjoyment.

There’s obvious similarities between Aldous and Kaspar. While I felt drawn to Aldous’s impulsive actions, I was equally put off by Kaspar’s lack of. He was pathetic, as so effectively pounded into his head by Montgomery. As one that responds to complete control or complete loss of control, Kaspar’s simple acceptance of his pronounced sentence made me want to torment him myself, if only to make him *do* something.

Plausible. Plausible that I was the monster and he was shrinking from me, I was an insect who he thought he’d caught cupped in his hand, pinned in a tissue, but when he checked I was gone and now he felt me everywhere on his skin all at once.

5.20.2010

Thomas Crawford is Lonely River's beta, and it's high time he settled down. He's had his eye on Charlotte Daniel, the owner of the Full Moon Saloon -- and independent cuss of a woman -- for months, but she either hasn't noticed his gentle courting... or she's ignoring him. But when some local wolves lodge a complaint about her questionable business practices it's Thomas's job to investigate, even if it means the woman he wants will hate him forever.

Lottie has noticed Thomas's courting, all right, but it's a little too polite for her tastes. She wants a man with fire and sensuality, not daisies and poetry. Then he kisses her. Once she gets a glimpse of the passion burning in him, Lottie decides a slow, careful seduction isn't a bad idea at all. But she'll do it her way.

Chick owns a muthereffin brothel. WTF!

And she's got the beta of the pack head over paws in love with her. But while he's courting slow and steady, she's waiting for the moment he'll finally show some passion for her.

Thomas hasn't had a woman in three years, so when he snaps, I'm expecting him to snap *hard*, ...raise up the freak flag and do his thing.

Nope. Warmed up a bit but he still came across as about as wild as a priest.

Still, he made laugh.

“I love everything about you.”

“Even though I’m stubborn and opinionated?”

“Because you’re stubborn and opinionated.”

“Don’t forget outspoken.”

He groaned and bit her lower lip. “Hard to forget when I’m trying to sweet talk you and you won’t shut up.”

Not to forget...

“We’re wolves in love, darling. There’s always going to be love in the fucking, but there’s always going to be fucking in the sweet love, too. That’s the way we are.”

5.19.2010

Hazel Young is a rare commodity in town: a young, single female whose first mating is nearly upon her. She's spent the last two years fending off suitors who grow more determined by the day -- after all, there's nothing flattering in the attention of werewolves more interested in what she is than who she is, especially not when she gave her heart away to Oliver Russell years ago. But Oliver seems to feel nothing for her but fond kindness, and the time has come to choose a mate before the wolf makes the choice for her.

When Oliver happens across Hazel being pressured by a local who wants to be her first, it awakens protective instincts he thought he'd set aside with the death of his wife five years ago. With Hazel in heat and no time to get her to safety, they wind up in a fishing shack on Lonely River, waiting for her mating fever to pass. The last thing he expects is to be tempted by her inexperienced attempts at seduction.

This was a very well chosen cover as well. The models fit the description, and the pose itself fits the mood.

That said...

Oliver is a moron! Hazel has been in love with him since the creation of salt and his dumbass makes the lord god of all fuck-ups. Not going to say what exactly he did. Just know he's a moron.

Another great story by Moira Rogers. I do prefer Jack and Ginny to Ollie and Hazel... but Ollie's not so bad in the bedroom himself. Vocalization counts, people! Hazel's innocence and romantic ideas play hard in this one. She's denied her need to mate for too long, hopelessly wishing that Ollie will finally desire her the way she does him.

When the pain of fighting her mating cycle is too much, Ollie FINALLY steps up and well, gives the wolf what she wants.

As Alpha of the Lonely River Pack, Jack Owens is responsible for keeping the peace between what's left of the human population and the wolves who have taken over since the War. All wolves are his responsibility, even the ones like Virginia Howard who don't necessarily recognize his authority. Ginny's been a thorn in Jack's side since she took over her parent's operation and established herself as one of the area's premiere ranchers. The fact that she's everything he wants in a mate makes it hard to stay away from her, but any good hunter knows how to bide his time.

Ginny fights hard to maintain her independence from men, human and werewolf alike. The humans may not like having a woman as their chief competition, but they're not the ones determined to see her submit. When a group of angry wolves try to run her out of business, she's forced to accept Jack's assistance. But in saving her ranch, Ginny runs the risk of losing something far greater--her heart.

This one was another oh-so-good book. A great Alpha story.

Jack has it bad for Virginia "Ginny". But although he knows Ginny would give one night of pleasure if he pressed, he wants more. He wants her as his lover, his mate, and his partner. He wants her to help him lead and protect his pack.

Ginny is insistent upon the fact that she is not part of Jack's pack. She's a loner that needs no mate.

Sound familiar? Yeah, Adam and Mercy ran through my mind a couple times while reading this. And now that I've admitted it, hopefully they will quit with the ruckus.

When the harassment to her ranch becomes too much, Ginny swallows her pride and seeks out Jack for his help. From there, things get hot and heavy. And damn, Jack is one hell of a lover. He's got the dominance part down pat, a little bit of control factor, yes, and he knows what the hell he's doing in the bedroom. Got to live the guy.

Can't hate the beta males either. This story does very well in setting the stage for future heroes. I even liked the females.

That Hazel's a girl after my own heart.

Hazel’s snarl tore through the room. “Oliver fucking Russell can go fuck himself, with his fucking hands and his fucking growling orders and all of his fucking hotness.” And with that completely incoherent statement out of the way, the girl burst into hysterical tears.

Would have changed the country/ranch aspect of the story, but that's about it. Me likes Jack.

Kortal, Darinthian Ambassador to Earth, immediately recognizes Tessa as his fated companion. Coming from a planet inhabited by powerful men who sexually enslave women, and aroused and dominant by nature, Kortal sees no reason to delay the linking ritual. He’s waited too long to find this woman.

Overwhelmed by Kortal’s aggressive sexuality, Tessa doesn’t stand a chance against him or his Darinthian magic.

I have, in the past, supported the male in his impulsive mate claiming. Not this time. Not Kortal.

Key words: sexually enslave women

Tessa storms into Kortal's office, needing his help to find her friends who were the main characters in another book. I'm floored that he actually took the two seconds he did to ask Tessa's name before he grabs her and recites the words that begin the binding. Next, he collars her. Ultimately, .. yeah.

When he's not touching her, Tessa is saying no or pulling away. Then he gets all grabby and she's all YES! OH YES! PLEASE!

And this is not a 'I'll have what she's having' kind of moment.

There was no give on Kortal's part. He took her. And relinquished nothing. As a story it was okay... as a world to visit- no thank you.

Kate, shapeshifter and royal princess, has fallen in love with her bodyguard, Aidan, a man with the perfect body built to defend and love her at any cost. Aidan has been encouraging Kate to accept her shifter future and settle on one form. During a storm, Aidan accidentally shows his true form to her. Now Kate must decide if her love is strong enough to accept Aidan’s true heritage.

Aikitara.

Kate is a shapeshifter, capable of changing into many types of animals but the time has come for her to choose one to be her only secondary form, as is the custom of their people. At least, I assume it's a custom. Why anyone would choose to give up all the others is beyond me and the author never really delves into why this is the way it is. Moving on...

Her bodyguard Aiden insists on helping her with her shifting, telling her she needs to be able to shift for more than a few minutes. He shows no care at all whether she chooses just one form.

Their relationship becomes a romantic one and truths begin to present themselves. Kate has more powers than she knows of. Aiden is not exactly human.

At one point, Aiden makes a declaration that could have altered the story and went a direction that would have kept the reader long entertained. It begin a quickie, however, what was said ended up being a lie. Big, bang, boom, Kate shows Aiden her progression in her shifting thus ending the issues between them.

5.18.2010

Drew Noland knew that Ann Marie Knight was his mate, but first he had to gather The Sentinels to take down a vicious group of hunters.

When Ann Marie Knight literally fell into Drew Noland's solitary existence as an injured white wolf, little did he expect her to shift into a woman whose scent called to him - mate!

Already gathering to track a vicious group of men who maimed and hunted animals illegally, they turned their attention to rescuing her brother. But could Drew calm Ann Marie's fears and convince her they were meant to mate for life?

An injured wolf shifter ends up in the arms of a gorgeous hunk of man. But here's the twist. He's a shifter too!

Seriously. Usually that's not the case.

Animal Instincts is the simple story of a man finding his mate... in the midst of a small town conspiracy. Not sure how much of the hero-play in this had any truth in it, but I'm sure the author would know. Read the bio at the end. Crazy. And wow, for a woman to admit she's slept around in between two marriages. I wonder what her husband thinks of her putting that in black and white.

The sex is *alright*. Liked the vocalization. Loved the emphasis on MINE! It did succeed in making me want to seek out the first three of the series. On to do that now...

As head of the Sargaidia guards, Nina Janelle is accustomed to getting what she wants out of her men—in battle and in bed. These days, she’s in a losing battle with her panther-shifter heat cycle, each round requiring more and more men to quell her burning need. Until she meets Commission Officer Jordan Vasil. Suddenly, only one man can satisfy her—too bad the cocky pilot grates on her very last nerve.

Nina’s is the only face floating in his mind when Jordan lies alone at night, suffering from unrequited lust. It seems she’d rather slit his throat than bed him—until he finds her in debilitating pain from her efforts to subdue her urges. Ignoring her attempts to push him away, he gives her what she needs. His touch. His body.

Nina’s not quite ready to concede defeat, but she needs Jordan’s piloting skills to find her missing brother. Alone with him in close quarters promises to be more than distracting. Losing control could cost more than her kick-ass reputation. It could cost their lives.

Jordan is a werelion/tiger. We first met him when he and his brother, Sevan, came to the home planet of the Janelle family in the last book. despite the many women willing to throw themselves in his bed, Jordan torments himself with the one woman that wants nothing more than to argue and punch him- Nina Janelle.

They have a history of yelling at one another or ignoring each other altogether. This story, though, picks up pretty much at the moment both choose to let the fight go and just be nice to each other. And they are nice. They're even sweet to each other. Much like two people who are standing toe to toe on the verge of dating. They're just sweethearts. And their actions are 'human'.

The markings on Nina's body foretell that she will be a great warrior until she finds her mate then he will settle her, and her nurturing side will flourish. This becomes obvious. What's the kicker is the same old story, lack of communication.

Both Nina and Jordan are under the assumption that the other is only fulfilling the sexual urges Nina is enduring. Until she claims her mate, she suffers horrible pains that no amount of past lovers could ever cure her of.

My heart went out to Pheebes. I hope his story comes soon. He needs love.

The only thing that really bugged me in this story was major time jump between chapters three and four. One minute we're on a crashed ship and the next, Nina is tied to a bed in an 'enemy' camp.

The story itself actually happens around them. Everything they set out to do either concludes in their absence or is altogether forfeit, left for a future tale. Nina's twin brother Kyriakos is yet to be found.

Not sure if it's my lack of memory, or the numerous books that I have read since books one and two of this series, but I found this story to be 'better' than the firsts. More entertaining yes, definitely, but written better as well. *shrugs* Just an observation.

5.17.2010

Lena is a rare and valued Sin Eater whose function in life is to transform pain and need to pleasure. Dedicated to the service of the god-king Karn the Insatiable, she has spent the last year training in the erotic arts. There’s just one problem—Lena has fallen in love with her teacher. The tall, muscular man with wintry gray eyes pushes her limits, constantly testing her.

Struggling with her feelings during her final erotic test, Lena wonders how she can leave her beloved teacher and give her heart to a man she’s never met to fulfill her destiny as a Sin Eater.

Oh my damn, I'm back in the mind of Evangeline Anderson. And wow. *fanning face and neck* It is smoldering in here!

Once again Anderson held nothing back. Her writing is extremely erotic and more often than not, the sex is actually degrading. I imagine never more so than in this, Sin Eater. If I'm wrong, good gods, I'm in for an awakening should I discover more.

Although I was introduced to the ideas of Sin Eaters some time ago, this is an entirely new chapter for me. And I'm betting completely fabricated. Dramatic license has been used, abused, and wickedly violated.

Lena is a Sin Eater. As such, and the only of her time according to the laws of the universe, she will be the bedmate to the god Karn. For this, she is to spend a year being prepared.

I'm going to SPOILER the hell out of this because it just makes it all the better.

Karn first beheld Lena before her training ever began. So captivated by her charm and innocence he decided that no other man would ever touch her. What the reader does not discover until the end of the tale is that the final lesson Lena is to pass is that she must seduce her Teacher.

While Lena, now in love with Teacher, believes herself to be committing the ultimate taboo by letting another man cum inside her, she can't fight her desire to be filled by the only man she has ever known. She sets out in a 'just a little more' seduction technique that Anderson has used before in her art. EYES LIKE A WOLF being the first I witnessed it. And as always, it's goooood.

While paddles and wooden dildos of all shapes and sizes come into play, it's the vulgarity of the speech and raw need and seduction that makes this story truly, truly... arousing.

Syna Davout thought it was supposed to be a simple smash-and-grab job—smash onto a luxury yacht, grab the cash, and split the proceeds with the client. Unfortunately, the client failed to mention that she’s the diversion for an assassination attempt that destroys the yacht and leaves her with a passenger she never expected. A fugitive telepath caught in the middle of a revolution.

Galen Fash thought his days were numbered. The fledgling revolution on his homeworld needs him to buy them time, with his life if necessary. The last thing he needs is to get involved with a pirate captain-for-hire whose larger-than-life emotions draw him like a moth to a flame.

Inexorably, Syna is dragged into a war that isn’t hers, and they both discover—between knock-down-drag-outs—that their whole is far stronger than the sum of their parts. Dodging the enemies that want them both dead will be hard enough. First, they have to survive each other…

My bestest gal pal sent me this one with instructions that I could shoot her if I didn't care for it. Well, do I do so now or later. No worries, I'm shifting from lethal setting to stun. 'kays?

Perhaps it was the dedication that set a bad tone for the book but I couldn't find it in me to love the characters. First off, it's a rule that lesbians just can't write good male/female erotica. Now just like every other rule in this universe there may be exceptions. This was not one of them.

Syna. Headstrong Syna. Dominant Syna. Great qualities when paired to a worthy, complimenting mate. Alas, what she is given is Galen.

I love an Alpha. I'll take a Beta. But Galen more qualifies as Upsilon. So yes, he's on HER ship. Life in HER hands. Completely at HER mercy but there is absolutely no need to be HER bitch!

Couldn't get passed how weak and passive Galen was. Made me want to go slasher movie on him and put him out of my misery. Syna. I wanted to sell her into slavery. Needing to gut her of some of the dominant female crap she was oozing.

Now I am all for a dominant female. But ONLY when paired with an equally dominant male. Compliment people. They must compliment!

Even the country music suggestions couldn't save this one. Check yes or no. *smiles*

Sunshine Bright is proud she can finally uphold the family name and help maintain their status over the Wind family. The fact that tall, dark and yummy Zephyr makes her break out in heat flashes by his mere presence is no reason she can’t win the new challenge between the families for the title of the strongest.

Zephyr Wind knew it would take some planning to be able to get what he wants, and what he wants is Sunshine. All the time and in every way. The lanky brunette ties him up in knots faster than you can say gale force winds. There’s also the little problem of spontaneous combustion to worry about.

Aesop will never be the same again.

The blurb says it all. What's meant to be a battle between the families is actually a well plotted scheme by Zephyr to finally get the girl of his dreams. A series of 'challenges' which are more like dates carry the story until it concludes as they live happily ever after. The sex was hot. The characters are entertaining. What more could you ask for?

Seriously though, I know this is short, but it is a good book! I always enjoy Aesop's fables, no matter how manipulated.

He's trapped-she's suspicious-to earn his freedom all he has to do is win her trust.

Locked in a cage for almost fifty years ago, Logan has had nothing but time to plot his revenge on those who wrongfully condemned him to spend eternity in the deepest regions of a South American rainforest. But with one look at the alluring vampire who holds his freedom in her hands, revenge becomes the farthest thing from his mind.

Eve Blake is puzzled by the wooden crate delivered to her door. Even stranger is the large golden eagle inside. It doesn't take her long to realize the majestic creature is far more than he appears. Finding a man in the cage previously containing the feathered animal gives Eve every reason to suspect the shifter was locked away for a reason.

Can she trust him when he promises not to harm her if she releases him? Or will her decision cost both of them more than they bargained for?

A vampire who is astonished to learn there is such a thing as shape-shifters out there. Whodathunkit.

Logan, declared to be the one foretold to be a threat to his own kind, is banished from his clan of eagle shifters. For fifty years he was trapped in a cage deep within South America until Kyle discovers him and sends him home to his friend Eve, a supsense/fiction writing vampire.

I *so* just repeated the blurb. Yeah, it's a basic story. Don't have many complaints from this one other than the fact that it was a tattoo that damned him and yet the darn thing was never revealed or described. Harrumph.

5.16.2010

Taking a small break from the 275 challenge, Matt and I filled our 6th Anniversary weekend with a handful of movies. We kicked it off with THE ROAD.

So, it's basically the end of the world. Cannibalism is on the rise and we follow a father as he prepares his son for the day when the boy must go on without him. It's obvious this was based on a book. A book I would have put down countless times before I would finally have given up. The movie was boring. I can imagine the book would be murderously so. For the first half of the movie, we endure the father's constant urges to put a bullet in his son's head. Now that kind of shyt really ticks me off. It's one thing to kill a child out of psychosis, quite another to do it out of 'compassion'. Urgh. Then we have a mother who is so severely depressed at the situation, she just walks into woods, abandoning both husband and son. And the son... a boy, about eight years old, that is way too soft. It is the only world he has ever known, and yet tears fall like rain over Seattle. I would assume as much as one could baby their child in a post-Apocalyptic era, there must be some hardness to their spirit.

One of the most frustrating aspects- only one person had a damn name. And that was Eli. Some really old guy they met along the journey. Not the dad. Not the mom. Not the damn boy. Just Eli.

After that we watched THE COLLECTOR for a healthy dosage of blood and gore. In this feature, a man breaks into a home looking to steal some cash to help repay a loan shark the mother of his child owes a debt to. Inside, he finds the mother of all traps lain by a man who is collecting living beings. He has the father, the mother, and a random guy that's stuffed into a chest. Somewhere in the house is the youngest of two daughters.

The traps were ridiculously clever. From bear traps to a chandelier of knives. Acid goo on the floor. Fish hooks. Wow. I can't even remember them all. Worst part of the movie was the end. We never see the bad guy and you spend the majority of the film wondering if the main character himself is the killer with evidence of delusions he keeps suffering.

If THE COLLECTOR didn't give you enough blood, then NINJA ASSASSIN will surely give you the overdose you seek.

Worst part of the movie, straight off, is the main character Mika who is convinced that there is a secret clan of assassins out there for hire to whomever is willing to pay a hundred pounds of gold. Okay, so she's right but she's still annoying as hell. The story itself is of Raizo and his training in this harsh world. You think the Spartan boys had it rough, this could very well prove a contender.

Lots of blood. And I mean, LOTS of blood. Completely exaggerated. But the effects were great and the fighting style highly entertaining.

Lastly, LEGION.

With a cast of Too Fast Too Furious rejects, we join a group of misfits in the middle of nowhere as we fight to save the unborn child of a true good for nothing slut.

Per God's command, angels are now hunting the child and seek it's death. Their one hope that being Michael who has betrayed God's will to protect the child while Gabriel leads the angels against him. In the end, though, -spoiler- he rises as God's champion for quote (Michael to Gabriel):

"You gave Him what He asked for. I gave Him what He needed."

After gunning down grandma and the ice cream man, I only now ask the question WHAT THE FUCK? While I get it, okay, maybe God was issuing a test. Quite the opposite of the television with its deafening tone and simple statement: This is NOT a test. Seriously, the tone- TOO MUCH! But if this was a test, how dare you slay those that were only acting on orders. So they were all good guys. Even crazy, wall climbing grandma and spider legs ice cream man.

5.13.2010

Not even magic will save her from falling for the one man she shouldn't.

There are two things Violet Calder knows. Magic and that cops and witches don't mix. Fantasizing about sexy detective Reece Prescott doesn't help matters, especially when her own clumsiness lands her in the middle of his undercover assignment.

Forced to pretend the gorgeous Violet is his girlfriend is one more nail in his coffin as far as Reece is concerned. From day one the Calder family has been a pain in his backside, and that doesn't look like it's about to change. But keeping his mind on bringing down a drug dealer gets increasingly difficult with Violet so close.

Knowing she has to tread carefully to protect her family, Violet begins to fear that not even magic will save her from falling for the one man she shouldn't.

*sigh* And back to lighthearted sex.

And a chick with powers and one set of very over protective brothers. *ding ding* We have a winner!

This one was pretty damn good. Nothing original, although I didn't see that little twist at the end. Go, Freddy.

“Oh good, you’re changing.” Reece strolled into her room like he’d been there a hundred times before. This was one of the rare times she could actually appreciate her mother’s neat freak ways rubbing off on her. There wasn’t a bra or a pair of questionable underwear in sight.

Violet frowned as his words sank in. Keeping her front averted, she asked, “What is wrong with what I’m wearing?” She happened to know this dress earned her the occasional long, hot look, so he couldn’t mean it wasn’t sexy enough, could he?

“It’s just not appropriate,” he said vaguely.

“We’re going to a rave. I don’t think a pant suit will work.”

He flipped through the clothes hanging in her closet. “Don’t you have something less…revealing?”

She grabbed the turtleneck sweater he’d snagged from a hanger and replaced it. “Maybe you didn’t hear me. It’s a rave.”

He took a step towards her, his voice low and smooth. “And I can’t keep my eyes off you in that dress.”

Violet shivered, his proximity setting off a chain reaction of hot bursts that zipped along her nerve endings. She tipped her chin up. “I’m not changing.” She didn’t care that the dress was too wet to wear out at this point. He wasn’t going to tell her what to do.

“Take off the dress.”

“Make me.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized the challenge in them.

“We don’t have time for this.” Reece made no move to back away. Instead his gaze focused on her lips.

Her stomach clenched. The tightening between her thighs pulsed under his hungry stare. “I’d say we have a problem then.”

Reece took the last step separating them. He planted one hand against the closet door next to her head. “And what do you suggest we do about it?” His mouth hovered an inch above her jaw.

Violet closed her eyes. “You’re the cop. You tell me.”

He pushed the thin strap of her dress off her shoulder. “I thought I already had.”

“Well, now. I think this is where I tell you to back the fuck away from my sister, Prescott.”

Violet froze. Kicking herself for not locking the door after they came in, she gave her brother a faint smile. “Hi Finn.”

After his brother drunkenly confesses that he thinks his own girlfriend has taken a lover, Aldous Kline decides to investigate whether there is any basis for the suspicion.

What begins as an evening of detached voyeurism--following the girl from her work to her apartment to a study date to a late meal--descends into macabre possessiveness as Aldous becomes lost to the amoral whims of his own latent obsession.

I really got into this book. So much so that I would stop reading only to stare into the nothingness of the air around me in a futile attempt to wade through the layers of what the main character was thinking. I'm certain I only grazed the surface. Hell, I only tickled the surface.

I was engrossed by the imagery, and my imagination stirred the memories of Marv from Sin City. His voice echoed the words on the paper.

With Bertram's single intoxicated utterance, Aldous finds himself on a disastrous path as he commits himself to discover if there is any truth to the believed infidelity of his brother's girlfriend. The curiosity then evolves as Aldous's perceptions of Lecia are altered and a descent into madness ensues.

A descent, I personally found too swift.

I would have liked to linger a while in the suspense of whether or not Lecia had been unfaithful. While it's certainly not the focus of the story, that being a man's transition and the mental snap that brings it about, it was the obsession that kept me enthralled.

I was intrigued by the author's ability to take on a constant flow of thoughts with the many probable and improbable possibilities. There was little emotion from Aldous, if any at all. No humanity. No compassion. I often mentally paused, taken note of all of the evidence Aldous was leaving behind. No cop, no detective, would ever correctly deduce the motive this killer held for there was none. His acts came out of madness and whatever proverbial screw was knocked loose at his brother's halfhearted words.

I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the journey. The depth of the human mind is endless, and as always, I take heart in visiting the darkest of the shadows there.

My deep felt thanks to the author.

The clothes were casual, dumpy, well worn, nothing done up about them, but this is something I generally found attractive, and the combination of it and her way of carrying herself—unselfconscious, lost to her purpose—riveting. I realized it was odd to think this is what she put on to meet with some guy. It would turn me on—a woman like her making advances, coming onto me, even getting things started fully clothed in such a way—but it was abnormal, a quirk of mine.

A well thought out story that delves into the machinations of the human mind.

Taylor Sullivan doesn’t trust Cupid, but she plays one for a living. As a successful wedding consultant, she creates a couple’s ultimate fantasy—even though she’s never managed to create her own. And when her clients start asking her for wedding night advice, she’s sensible enough to know when to enlist help.

Cade Harper knows two things about women. They either abandon him, or use him as a walking bank. He doesn’t do commitment, and marriage is a dirty word—witness the string of broken hearts he’s left in his wake. Yet Taylor’s business proposition intrigues him. In exchange for one night of no-strings passion, she’ll develop a promotional plan for his business. Who could say no?

Never one to buy anything sight unseen, Taylor tests the waters with a kiss. In an instant she has the only answer she’s ever wanted—that Cade is the one she wants.

As business starts tumbling into pleasure, Cade finds himself falling hard and fast.

It’s a fantasy come true—if they can turn heartache into forever…

“Surrender” by Rachel Carrington

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publication Date: June 1, 2010

In this fight, there’s no white flag.

Kira, Goddess of Darkness, has no problem with sin. Especially if it helps her reclaim the city stolen from her by the Timaran gods. With strength flowing through her veins, she takes aim at the throne of Timara, ready to commit whatever sin necessary to reclaim her birthright. Even kill the current ruler.

Jarek knows Kira by name only, but he knows one thing. Her attack is based on a terrible lie—that her parents once owned Timara. He understands the bloodthirsty anger that fuels her quest to right a wrong, but he won’t give up his city without a fight. He is a king and a god in his own right—and a most formidable enemy.

Kira never expected the ancient warrior to accept her challenge to fight to the death. Then she discovers he has a very different kind of battle in mind—one that starts with a fiery kiss. With all the audacity of the Egyptian gods combined, Jarek throws down his own gauntlet. If she loses, she will join him in his bed for as long as he wishes.

Warning: This book contains sex scenes that would make Caligula blush, some bitchiness, and a hero with a god complex.

“Cry Wolf” by Donica Covey

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publication Date: June 8, 2010

This second chance at love could get them both killed.

Fifteen years ago, denied the only woman he ever wanted as a mate, Remington Aldrich packed his few belongings and left home without a backward glance. Now the pack leader who ripped his world apart is on the other end of the phone, asking for his help.

Angela Martin, Remy’s first love, is missing and the trail has gone cold. She may have refused to defy the alpha and run away with him all those years ago, but Remy can’t stop himself from coming to her rescue.

Abducted by two men—one for his ghastly scientific experiments, and the other for his driving need for revenge against all Lycans—Angela despairs that no one will find her. Then she senses Remy nearby.

Together again and on the run from a killer bent on hunting them down, Remy vows to never again let Angela out of his arms. But first they have to survive—and fight against history’s tendency to repeat itself…

While I find the subject of this song DEPLORABLE and wonder why the heck people sing about this stuff, I admit the beat is catchy and damn those catch all radio stations that got it stuck in my head! Oh well. At least he's honest.

For Melissa “Lucky” Chance, another stretch in Ganymede’s ice prison is nothing new. The flash-freeze that’s supposed to destroy her will only leaves her with an insatiable desire for the first hot body she lays eyes on. Except this time, she faces a death sentence. Her only hope of escape lies with the man known as The Butcher.

John Ramius understands the logic behind his conviction as a criminally insane mass murderer. No man should have been able to slaughter over fifty men in as many minutes, but no one sees the underlying curse that compels him to sense—and fulfill—someone’s deepest need. Chance’s skill will free him to kill the Sun-King; he will find no rest until he does.

As they run from the forces of the Jovian colonies, Ramius finds himself temporarily sidetracked, not only by Chance’s relentless desire, but by her underlying, unspoken need. Ignoring it—or his own compulsion to do every wicked thing imaginable to her—is not an option.

Only after all their defenses are stripped away do they discover that their meeting wasn’t by chance. Someone is manipulating them both, and the only way out is the path to their destruction…

I've discovered that running away from something holds far less appeal to me than running towards something. Doubt I'm alone in that, but I say it because it's likely what kept me from truly getting into this book. They were caught somewhere in the middle, running from their deaths to another's.

The scenes of progression gave me as much thrill as those that were rather stationary in the story. Chance bored me. Ramius had his moments. I give you one guess which scene got to me the most...

“We were about to die.” The words burned against her ear and she shut her eyes against them. “About to die and you couldn’t think it.” His choked voice stabbed at her. “Why?”

No. Her head dropped and she willed her mind to think only of the fierce thrust of his hips, his fingers, the press of his hot skin against hers, hard, fast. She would find her release, she would—

“I’ll say it.”

Panic gripped her. She wanted to break free of him, but he held her, stroked into her body with increasing force and speed. And she couldn’t deny how her screaming body responded to him, wanted him. The fierce slap of his slick flesh against hers, his power, yes, he was hers, utterly— “No.”

His ragged breaths ran hot against her ear, his lips pressed to the lobe. He was close to coming, his thrusts as uneven as his breathing. He would say it; she could almost feel the words in his mind. And if he said them, then she would lose him. Lose him as she’d lost her family. “Ramius, no, please.” But need tore though her. To hear him say—

5.11.2010

As a new emperor ascends the throne, the city of the Rhodoi is about to run with blood. Larissa has to escape. Her only way out is to accept a bargain made with Xander, a beautiful stranger who practices mysterious spirit magic. She knows the deal could cost her a piece of her soul, but the magician’s spirits want something else. Something she never expected. They want her body, her untouched flesh…for Xander’s own pleasure.

Well this one was just.. odd. I know it's a short, but they get into the dirty parts of sex much quicker than I expected. Or would have cared for.

My take is this- As it starts, Xander is a priest (slash) sorcerer (slash) prostitute who gets paid for sex as well as his mediating with the spirits. Larissa seeks him out for his power to change who she is. His price for fulfilling her desire is his own pleasure, that is, well as he put it 'Not many virgins come knocking at my door'.

So I spend the first half of this book in a conundrum. What the hell was Xander's motive. Surely sex can't be the 'all' in his motives.

As it finished, the contract was sealed. Larissa got herself a new body. But... it was Xander who paid the price to the spirits. Uh... something about he had been waiting a year for her and the spirits made him choose- her or them.

Scar’s marbled skin and stunted tail aren’t all that make her stand out. Her Caraniae DNA has a strange effect on the male of the species, which makes her career as a pilot perfect. The less interaction she has with people—with men—the better. She won’t risk her wayward pheromones bonding her forever to one man.
Then there’s her boss’s new bodyguard, Anthony Tyler. The pure-human is tight-lipped about his sketchy past. He also seems determined to work her prehensile tail off.

Once imprisoned and drummed out of the Corps for conduct unbecoming, Tyler is intrigued with his ship’s unheard-of, human-Caraniae hybrid. He spent his career fighting her kind, but when a message from home throws Scar into a tailspin, he finds himself drawn to help her in any way he can. Even if it means risking life and limb to help her sweat out her anger.

Their sparring session turns into something else. Something wildly sexual. Something so wrong as to be suicidal—if Scar’s father discovers she’s bonded with anyone other than the husband he’s forcing her to marry…

Tyler -oh baby!- rocked this book. I'm such a sucker for a mutually possessive relationship.

It was eh at first, but once Tyler took the reins... Warrior. Disciplined. Passionate. Dominate. Oh yes, Tyler got a response.

5.10.2010

A man of deception. A woman of justice. Can their fragile trust be strong enough to prevent a war?

Commander Yara knows perfect leadership requires perfect control and discipline. She has spent years living without the distraction of caring for anything—or anyone. It’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make. Yara has honed herself into the perfect heir to the Azralen throne, but a bloody coup could destroy everything she’s worked so hard for. She must return home to prevent war. Unfortunately the only ship available belongs to an Earthlen trader with no regard for authority—especially hers.

Cyn is a rebel, driven to protect those suffering at the hands of the Elite leaders of Azra. Using his alias to manipulate the lovely but icy commander onto his ship, he has to keep her from Azra long enough to ignite the revolution. But when he awakens a vibrant and feeling woman beneath that icy exterior, he gets more than he bargained for—love. He must find a way to convince Yara to join him, before they get caught in a web of deception that could tear their world apart.

Just like the first, Beyond the Shadows is filled with a colorful assortment of characters that each play into the charms and quirks of the heroes, Cyn and Yara. Cyn is a guy so deceptive that even his allies wonder what name to address him with. Meanwhile, Yara proves herself to be anything but the cold Elite she has been trained to be.

The best of this book is by far the witty trades between the two which kicks off the book and continues for a good while until everything turns serious and continues at a steady, enjoyable pace. Can't complain much about the intimate scenes. What girl doesn't love a guy chanting her name?

In the end, though, I gotta say Beyond the Rain remains my favorite of the two.

Why, oh why, did Cyn have to lose his ship? No way in hell is a ship ever just a ship to it's Captain. I don't give a damn who he's fucking.

5.09.2010

Easy part of his day? Resurrecting the dead. Hard part? Keeping them alive.

Kaede is a witch whose family has been bound to a powerful House for over a thousand years. And he hates it. Despite the fact that his lord, Tarou, murdered his mother, Kaede is sworn never to harm the man who could kill him with just seven words. Now he’s been commanded to use his unique powers to resurrect Tarou’s wife from the dead, and he has no choice but to comply. Things go horribly wrong when he accidentally pulls the wrong soul back. Now it’s not just his own life he must try to save.

Vara’s day couldn’t get much more bizarre. One moment she’s a captain in the Temple Guard. The next, she finds herself transported into a world of magic and witches—and stuffed into the body of a lord’s wife. Unwillingly plunged into middle of a deadly power struggle, the only one Vara can turn to is Kaede, the witch responsible for dragging her into this alien world. A witch she finds far too attractive…

It's becoming evident now that Kim Knox is, quite simply, an amazing writer. This one had an intro that just wrapped itself around me.

The basic plot of this story comes down to being not more than a fabrication of a mastermind. Was there ever really a resurrection? Who then truly died? With all the spell casting and soul swapping, there's a lot of twists and questions up in the air. Somewhat, sadly, when it all comes together it wasn't anything I hadn't read before. Much like Myrren's Gift by Fiona McIntosh. However, this was a very good story. Loved Kaede. Loved the riddle of who's who and what's what.

"Kaede?"

He blinked and pulled his attention back. "Sorry. I don't get to see the sun that often."

November Eve. The Hunt Ball. And to prove her right to rule, Tate must capture a mate. It should’ve been simple. Snag a vampire barely turned and have him kneel and swear devotion to her. But Fate has other plans…and one of them involves the powerful son of the ruling Queen.

Jager, a vampire she’s hungered after for years, allows himself to become her prey. But with his promise of sinful, wicked pleasure comes a catch. Jager only wants her as his slave. Nothing more.

Tate has no plans to bow down to him…until Jager shares a shocking truth with her. Suddenly Fate is playing hardball.

The time has come for Tate to find a mate. More accurately, to hunt and dominate a male. The most important part is the domination. If she is successful, then she will allowed to create her own horde and its queen. Should the male dominate her, she is reduced to being his slave.

For this reason, her brother Kester makes her promise not to go after the queen's first son, Jager, but a lower class vampire, preferably just turned with the mind of a vegetable. Instead, Tate decides to go after the first male she scents. If she can't have Jager then it doesn't matter who it is, as long as she comes out the victor.

Jager finds her first.

The tension in this one was off the charts as two very strong minded individuals constantly squared off. There's nothing sexier than a man on his knees and Tate was determined to put Jager on his. Mmmm mmmm good.

And these aren't you average vampires. Throw in a command that cannot be refused from a Queen ready to give herself to the sun and you've got another complication that very truly kept me wondering just how this sucker was going to end.

5.07.2010

Librarian Debra Henry is boring. And she's okay with that. Really. It's not as if the teensy amount of witchcraft that flows in her veins is worth getting excited about. Yet someone--or something--thinks it's worth crawling out of the swamps to attack her. Those "somethings" are werewolves. When one of them is hurt saving her, the least she can do is take him home and patch him up. Healing him stirs more than her senses. Maddox Moreau awakens the magic that sleeps in her blood. And suddenly, life's not quite so boring.

A wildlife manager at Congaree National Park by day, Maddox likes being the BWIS--Big Wolf In the Swamp. By night, he lets his wild side out to play lone wolf. At least until he meets the one woman who can share his soul. Perhaps it's best, though, if he holds off on sharing his preference for raw meat. Rescuing her seals his fate--but only if he can protect her from a rogue of his kind. A werewolf with a nasty stalker streak...

I kinda, sorta, want to stab whoever designed this cover, but I'm sure I'll get over the urge. Moving on...

Which was not a difficult task at all with a story like this. Me likey Maddox.

Whatever. Sex. Now.

and hahaha at:

"I beheld it. It is ugly."

But why did he have to get that ridiculous Brick House song stuck in my head???

Disappointment struck me in the end. Debra just acted plain stupid in confronting the beast. And a clone trick? Really?

As the new traveling doctor for the Pacific Inside Passage settlements, Matthew Jentry balances dual roles for his water-shifter people—caring for their health as a human-trained physician, and for their spiritual needs as a shaman.

Distractions of the female kind are not on his agenda, but his magical bloodline makes him a target for every marriage-minded woman within range. There’s something about the mysterious Laurin Marshall, though, that he finds far too enticing. It’s just as well that it’s time for him to move on.

Laurin thought she had perfected her guise as a mild-mannered teacher, but the sexual fireworks she and Matt touch off are threatening to blow her cover out of the water. Luckily it’s time for her to catch the boat to her next assignment.

When she discovers she’ll be sailing with Matt, she realizes there’s only one thing more dangerous than their unforgettable one-night stand—being trapped with him on a boat that gives “riding out the storm” a whole new meaning…

I have found the best of Vivian Arend. This was it.

On the eve of Matt's departure from the 'orca people', Mama T, yes Mama T.. I was so waiting for her to break it down with 'I pity the fool!'... anyway, Mama T informs him that there is a female among them that can't shift. So... Matt takes himself a stroll down the beach to where the younger children are playing and HOLY SHIT IT'S A REALLY HOT WOMAN! Yep, just like that. Weeks he's been with these people, having every other woman throw themselves at him only to be brushed away. Then the one woman who has happened to stay outside his radar just so happens to be the one that a) is frolicking with the children and b) can't shift.

Well... 'b' is give or take.

She can shift, just not into what they're expecting.

What the story amounts to is the meeting of two people destined for each other and who happen to have the problems in their lives find their solutions in one another.

The sex is on fire. Yeah, just like Kings of Leon said, and actually the best of Arend's erotica I've read.

So yes, this one was yum. And yes, I did have fun posting this. *smiles*

Welcome to the future! The year is 3025, and humans are fast becoming extinct. Nizhoni of Mojave Earth Clan knows her spirit guide will protect by giving her the power of the wolf. When she unwittingly bites another human, she flees.

Michael of the Air Clan has searched for the woman he calls Beauty; the one who turned him into a creature of the moon. When he finds her living among the Mojave, he believes he can finally claim her. There's only one problem. She's already married.

Together Nizhoni and Michael must battle her former lover, the Yee Naaldlooshi, or feared skin-walker. The fate of their love and humankind hang in the balance. If Beauty can't have her mate and save the world, she's going to be a real Beast.

Woah. Zombies. Didn't expect that. And werewolves. And Native American spirit guides. And vampires. And ghosts. And Skin-walkers. And, well, there's a lot of stuff in this short story. And a whole lot of history to the characters that's surface is only skimmed.

Overall, it was good. I like the chief with his riddles as well as the variety of characters. It should have been a longer book though. There's too much substance for it to be just a quick read.

As owner of Jensen Securities, Max Jensen lives by one simple rule: Never take your eyes off the target. Once he spies lithe little Jordan Landon wrapped around a pole, though, his eyes aren’t the problem. It’s keeping his mind on his job.

Her job as a pole-dancing instructor might cause a few raised eyebrows, but it’s what she does on a speeding motorcycle that kicks Max’s protective instincts into overdrive. And puts the hurt on his determination to keep his hands to himself.

Years ago, Jordan left her wealthy, disapproving family behind to pursue her dream of opening her own dance studio. Approaching a hottie in a bar was easy in her college days, but now? If she wants him, she’ll have to put her big-girl panties on and go for it.

Once alone, their inhibitions disappear faster than their clothes. But when someone breaks into Jordan’s home, Max finds himself in an uncomfortable position—as the target of Jordan’s suspicions about his real motives.

I nearly laughed to the point of pain while reading this story. Max and Jordan were basically the same person. Both of the higher class of wealthy Americans that have, for reasons of freedom and passion, decided to turn away from their mothers' standards and rules to embark upon their own route in life.

When their paths collide, Max's protective instincts roars to the forefront and he somewhat instantly becomes the poster-boy for a man smitten. The constant amusing plays of thoughts in both Max and Jordan's minds made the story even better. The hot sex certainly never left a minute for boredom.

While not everything was believable, such as the hasty progression of their relationship and reaction to a certain disregarded necessity, for a fictional romance it was spot on. It oozes humor as well as tingling talk and play at sex. I could fill my Goodreads Quotes with the hilarious one-liners from this book. Charley horse. Priceless.

Congratulations. You won an out-of-practice, dried-up pole dancer. Woohoo!

5.05.2010

My name is Gin Blanco. They call me the Spider — the most feared assassin in the South (and a part-time cook at the Pork Pit BBQ joint.) As a Stone elemental, I can hear the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet and feel the vibrations of the soaring mountains above me, though I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

After a ruthless Air elemental double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way. I may look hot in a miniskirt, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble when irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine agrees to help. The last thing a coldhearted killer needs when she's battling a magic more powerful than her own is a sexy distraction ... especially when he wants her dead just as much as the enemy.

Assassinations and pork? OMG awesomeness!

When it comes to romancing an assassin, there's only one kind of person worthy of the challenge- another assassin. Certainly not a cop which is exactly what Donovan Caine is. And Gin and Caine have their own history, beginning with Gin killing Caine's rapist of a partner for no charge a few months ago.

So... although I'm sure Caine will be the target of the on and off again relationship just waiting to be birthed, I kept my eye out for other possibilities. Fletcher, her mentor. Finn, her surrogate brother. Brutus, a fellow assassin. Each and all crossed off the list for one reason or another. Sorry Brutus.

Actually I think Gin summarized the romance with Caine just perfectly when she described sex with Finn- 'adequate, but unremarkable'.

I don't ordinarily like my heroines to be promiscuous but virgin assassins are just wrong so Gin's past and male-like perspective on sex sat just fine with me. I like that she's already been with Finn. Cuts away the mystery of the unknown and adds a casual play to their relationship. No tension, with a been there; done that air about them.

It's one of those where no one is safe. Where the options are endless and sometimes the most unlikely route is taken. Sometimes not. It's dark. It's bloody. It's descriptive on an almost surreal level. I loved it.

Easily the best I've read of urban fantasy.

Although, it's a bit wordy. And long. Very long. Did I mention it was long?